There are so many things to write about the people and the places I have been to either for work or vacation. My thoughts and experiences are expressed here and they are mainly my personal observations . Some were funny, some sad, some eye opening.. It is not possible to explicate them all the time but the idea is to get an overview of the events that came to pass in my journeys.. enjoy..

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

The World Cup came and wentOh, how many hours we spentWatching , feeling and sharing the euphoriaThat every goal had brought togetherA nation.. be it rich or poor

I have been a football fan ( of the World Cup ) for quite some time now. It never ceases to amaze me how many people around the world enjoy this game. The usual comment from those not interested was always the same "what do you see in a group of people running after a ball?"

Here's what it is all about ...For me, football is akin to life...

Firstly, the game has a little entropy so it is unpredictable more often than not. One of the two countries playing might be slated to win but as long as the game is still in play, it has a 50-50 chance of winning. But then, this also applies to other sports but football has the element of chaos that increases with time because of the large number of variations presented by the players from the different countries.Life's like that too - the choices people make have a 50-50 chance of being a good one.

Secondly, football brings the world together. Whether a country is rich or poor, the game transcends race, religion or language differences. It embraces cultures, accepts diversity. The numerous disagreements and emotional outbursts to the referees' decisions were always short lived as the game must go on. Without countries' participation, there would be no game. This year, the tag line is 'my game is fair play, say no to racism'. It is good enough for me that FIFA is trying to eradicate certain issues.....Having said that, I suspect, as with life, the game would not be able to escape political influences and I would not delve further into this ................. :)Life's like that too - without friends to have fun with, to disagree with and to share common interests with, there would be nada.

The game starts and stops every now and then and when a goal is scored, it would start again. Both teams attack and defend again and again just to get the ball into the goal. They formulate strategies, take advantage of opportunities to score, getting themselves hurt in the process and then, when the ball makes it past the two poles, every drop of sweat and every bit of hard work transform into ecstasy.Life's like that too - we plan projects, we fall, get up and try again. With proper guidance, experience and timely opportunities, we survive. Ecstasy and despair must occur side by side.

The rules and regulations in the game ensure that there is order in the system. Any player caught flouting the rules are rightly punished.Life's like that too - laws keep us away from wrongdoing.

Football must have team spirit yet individual effort, strategically located players and of course, lady luck.Life's like that too ....

Last but not least, football is a passion for many people around the world. Some players become role models ( some not ), mentors and coaches after they can play no more. And the game continues...Life's like that too - no matter what we do, where we are, life should be a passion and continues.....

Football is ...... a beautiful game.....Life is........ a beautiful game.....